It is commonly desired by homeowners to improve the nighttime visibility on their property. To accomplish this, homeowners typically add light fixtures to various portions of their property. In order to reduce the installation cost, many homeowners prefer to install their own light fixtures. Although various devices have been proposed for mounting such lights in an outdoor setting, they typically have not been designed to meet the homeowner's needs.
A fixture support post was therefore proposed by the present inventor in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/860,064, entitled “Landscape Fixture Support Post”, filed May 17, 2001, and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, in order to provide a simplified fixture support post for the typical homeowner. The fixture support post of Ser. No. 09/860,064 provided a simple design compared to prior art posts. The post, being constructed in one piece, provided a low cost fixture support for the homeowner. Outward projections were provided integral with the post to lower cost and reduce the possibility of separation from the post. The top of the post was designed to accept the most common types of light fixtures by simply threading the base of the fixture into the post. A wide cable entryway was provided on the bottom of the post to allow easy alignment and lead-in of electrical cables into the post. The combination of these elements made it easy for a homeowner to install the support post in the ground and connect a light fixture to the post.
An improved fixture support post was proposed by the present inventor and filed on Mar. 28, 2002 as U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/112,563, entitled “Outdoor Garden Post”, and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Prior art outdoor fixture supports typically were designed for mounting a fixture and very specific electrical devices. The outdoor garden post of Ser. No. 10/112,563 provided a post that enabled easy mounting of both a fixture and a standard wall-mounted electrical device. Since the post accepted any standard wall-mounted electrical device, it greatly enhanced the functionality of the post, allowing a homeowner to choose from a wide range of electrical devices without having to purchase a specific post for each. The post provided a junction box integral with the box. This enabled the post to be produced at a low cost and had the advantage of enclosing the wiring connections in a box that met all electrical codes. The outdoor garden post of Ser. No. 10/112,563 therefore provided a device that made it very easy for a homeowner to securely and safely install a fixture in combination with an electrical device, such as a duplex receptacle or a switch, in an outdoor setting. The device essentially enabled electrical fixtures and devices to be mounted outdoors in a manner analogous to the mounting of electrical devices indoors.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/252,781, entitled “Deck Post”, filed Sep. 23, 2002 and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, provided an outdoor fixture and electrical device support for attachment to a deck, or similar structure. The post provided an integral junction box and an arrangement for supporting a light fixture thereon. The post of U.S. Ser. No. 10/252,781 therefore enabled a homeowner to easily secure a fixture and an electrical device to a deck or similar structure. The deck post also enabled electrical fixtures and devices to be mounted outdoors in a manner analogous to the mounting of electrical devices indoors, thereby simplifying the electrical installation for a homeowner.
Although the above summarized inventions provided improved support posts for the homeowner, the device could be further simplified and therefore produced at an even lower cost for those situations in which a homeowner desired only to mount a fixture without an associated electrical device.
The present invention provides a support post for mounting an electrical fixture in an outdoor setting. It can be manufactured at lower cost than the above-mentioned support posts. The entire post can be manufactured in one piece to lower production cost. The post can easily be mounted in the ground and can withstand moisture and ground contact for the life of the installed fixture. Stabilizing devices are provided and are integral with the post to lower cost and greatly reduce the possibility of separation from the post body.